Notes on the Impermanance of Sustainable Being

This is a 5 part poem. And, for some reason, I could not get this stupid blog to type Italic. So, Italic words are in CAPS. Thanks!

1.

I went out searching
Native San Diego fauna
-In a wilderness of
Imported trees, man-made lakes
And irregular architecture.

Man and his cars,
And unnatural roadways
That led those automobiles
To their regrettable destinations
Were impossible to avoid-
Like a dream we have that takes us
Back to events we wish to forget.

In this search,
Walking about without a home,
Within the boundaries
Of a city I call my home,
I came to know of an owl
That believed I was a wolf-

And she drove the doves away from me

-Those old friends that knew my name,
But did not know me well enough
To distinguish fact from myth.

2.

I knew when the Mockingbird
Did not answer my taunts
That I was not trusted, or
Able to be invited in.

-Now, all the birds are a flutter-
Afraid of earthquakes and
Rain that comes infrequently
But causes flash floods on
Middle plateaus not used to storm.

-Bless the Framers of this city
For importing roots that keep
Drainage at a minimum level
Where the gophers and rodents
Make their homes.

This city is a folly revisited
-And, if you do not know
That history,
You are wasting your time
Lecturing me.-

They built a damn and a lake
We can fish and hunt on.
They redirected a river,
And created plots of land
The millionaires could invite us to.

-If they were drudged, it would be found
That the workman's sweat and tears and blood,
Are older than the mud and fossil seashells
That cake the layers of sediment beneath.

3.

The owl again
-I've seen her three or four times-
She gives me warning, and
Does not allow me to capture her feathers.

Whatever she is hunting for
Is in great abundance-
She is larger than a hawk-
And just as territorial.

I walk through the golf course at night,
Searching out trails between the sprinklers,
Low spots in the rough where cold air hides,
And counting the number of Sage weeds
That have slipped up, unnoticed by the groundskeeper,
Onto what is meant to be a perfect lawn.

-One night, a small group of people
Had brought a radio, and beer,
Out onto one of the greens.

They had a dance party there, purposely
Leaving divots in the soft, low cut grass.

I sat and watched, and laughed,
And drank my own beer.

Possibly, their house party had been broken up
By cops. So, their revenge on neighbors,
Was to ensure the last little bit of the game
Played out improperly.

-And, that was when the white owl,
Terrifying in her dominance
Of the night sky- Swooped down
One, twice, three times
So near my head, I could feel
The vibration of her wings
Throughout my body.

4.

Ringlets of Sage and cactus scrub,
And the minerals so diverse,
That contrast the sandstone
And red-rock dirt.

Green and Brown. Green and Brown.

Prickly pears cry out- Red!
I am edible! No one harvests
The fruit of thorns, anymore!

Somewhere, in a gardener's
Canvas lawnmower bag, mixed in
With grass blades, and dandelion heads,
Is some specimen of seed, or flower pod,
Only allowed to exist if protected.

-A wise man once told me,
That if we were smart,
We would tear out all the Jacaranda,
And Eucalyptus,
And plant apple, peach, and lemon trees, instead.

-But humans take their hunger for granted.

-We drink coffee for breakfast,
And other liquids for dessert.

-Even in places of worship, or at the University,
Fast food wrappers litter sacred lawns.

-Meals eaten so quickly, by spoiled children,
They do not even have time, or energy,
To regurgitate the trash into the proper receptacle.

-If it was Spring, the yellow and violet
Blooms of wildflowers would creep up
Seemingly unnaturally, between the
Bougainvillea thorns.

-But, it is not Spring- Autumn,
Has overcome us, so we sit and wait
For the parched Santa Ana winds,
And late November rains.

-I have noticed, lovers ignore the seasons,
And are overwhelmed with each other's
Passions, no matter the weather.

-At least, as far as people are concerned,
That is one thing that is truly beautiful
About our existence here on Earth.

5.

Everyone wants, and claims need
For something permanent to grasp onto.

-But, if the plates that hold the continents
Together, can shift violently,
And, if the sky above us swirls
Delusions, instead of oxygen
Into the air around us, and if,
The emperor IS wearing clothes,
But the populace has sealed
Their eyelids with bigoted parchment,

-Then, it can be known, as it always
Comes to pass; that not since Pharaohs
And Caesars held public executions
As worship and sport, have humans
Changed their foolish mentality
Of following the mob into fields of fire,
Or, off of steep cliffs into valleys
Of broken glass.

-If an animal, such as an owl,
Requests of me to move from her
Nesting ground, I comply
Without complaint, or regret.

-It is the selfishness and greed,
Of wealthier men that tolerated me,
As long as, I had a dollar to spend,
But now spit at me because
My poverty overcame me, that will
Always bring me back to their doorstep,

-Left hand outstretched in defense,
Right hand hidden-

So, the bastards will not be able to see
If it is a weapon I am going to draw,
Or, a small pebble of truth.

-Let those men decide themselves,
If it is war they want, or worse,
The revealment of their tiny morality,

-Displayed for all to see in their
In fractions of law, valueless businesses,
And rape, torture, disfigurement
Of their own souls,

-And, the stains of their personal histories
They left behind for future generations
To sneer at- HOW PETTY. HOW PETTY.

HOW ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS, AND MEANINGLESS
THESE MEN'S LIVES WERE.